[Updated] Following social media talk after similarities were noted between a letter to the editor penned by OBA MP Leah Scott and a 2010 article on an overseas website, Ms Scott said “while it is alleged that I have directly plagiarized, this is untrue,” adding that her “error in submitting the letter without references was inadvertent and unintentional.”

“I will never win in the court of public opinion on this matter, and I am not going to try to. I can only humble myself and apologise to all who I have offended,” added Ms. Scott, who serves as the Jr Minister of Education.

On Friday [Feb 20] the newspaper published a letter to the editor from Ms. Scott entitled “Women must try to be allies, not enemies,” and two excerpts from the letter, as well as two excerpts from the “Hello Beautiful” article she was accused of plagiarising follow below.

Example #1: Leah Scott’s Letter To Editor

It has always amazed me that black women are each other’s biggest critics. We are the quickest to find each other’s faults, bring each other down, and pick, pick, pick at a sister until she has nothing left. After we have trod her down, then we step over her and say she isn’t worth anything.

Example #1: Hello Beautiful’s Original Article:

It has always amazed me that black women are each other’s biggest critics. We are the quickest to bring each other down, find each others faults and nit-pick at a sister until she has nothing left, nothing left to give, and then we step over her andcall her worthless.

Example #2: Leah Scott’s Letter To Editor

We tell a sister who is heavy to put down that piece of cake, yet we criticise a skinny woman for not eating any. We accuse strong women of being female dogs and then turn around and accuse weaker women of not having any chutzpah. We chant at loud-mouthed woman for talking too darn much and torment a quiet woman who won’t take up for herself.

Example #2: Hello Beautiful’s Original Article:

We call strong women female dogs and accuse weaker women of riding somebody else’s coat tails. We tell a big sister to put down her burger and criticize a skinny woman for not picking one up. We ride the loud mouth woman for talking to darn much and torment the quiet woman for needing to take up for herself.

Ms. Scott was subsequently ‘called out’ about on it Facebook, with people commenting on the similarities between the two articles. A number of people, ranging from Opposition supporters, teachers, former journalists and others weighed in on the topic, and Ms. Scott also addressed the matter on social media.

Screenshot of one of the first posts on Facebook noting the matter:

Screenshot of Ms. Scott’s initial response:

Screenshot of Ms. Scott’s final response on the Facebook thread:

Eron Hill, who was one of the people who pointed it out on Facebook, said, “It saddens many to see how certain members of this current government seemingly allow themselves to be used to do and say certain things for the sole purpose of public appearance, just to be able to say they’ve said something. Why sell themselves so short?

“What example do we send to our young people when a Government MP and Jr. Minister of Education resorts to such desperate measures as copying and pasting others’ work and claiming it as their own?

“As Jr. Minister of Education, MP Scott must be held to high standards as she has the attention of the youth. To act in this manner is distasteful and disingenuous in my humble opinion. Young people, we must learn from this embarrassing saga. Integrity and honesty is important. We must never let the fear of a blank page, or the eagerness for media spotlight push us to the fraud of plagiarism,” added Mr. Hill.

In response to the accusations, Ms. Scott said: “On Friday, I submitted a letter to the editor encouraging the alliance of women. This letter was based on an article I read in “hellobeautiful.com”, and formed the theme for my letter.

“While it is alleged that I have directly plagiarized, this is untrue. The definition of direct plagiarizing is taking someone’s work word for word and claiming it as your own. I did not do this. I recognize the importance of crediting and citing sources and it is my practice to do so.

“I am generally very cautious about my work, especially when I, at times, include the work of others in my own. My error in submitting the letter without references was inadvertent and unintentional and I took the necessary steps to immediately correct this wrong by providing the Royal Gazette with the necessary citation and an apology to the readers for not including the source at the time of publication.

“Humility leads to strength and not to weakness. It is the highest form of self-respect to admit mistakes and to make amends for them. [John J. McCloy] I will never win in the court of public opinion on this matter, and I am not going to try to. I can only humble myself and apologise to all who I have offended,” added Ms. Scott.

Update 11.50am: Political commentator and former political candidate Jonathan Starling said, “After reading MP Leah Scott’s response to accusations of plagiarism I am left extremely concerned about the example she’s setting for students in Bermuda – noting in particular her holding the portfolio of Junior Minister for Education.

“Her definition of plagiarism beggars belief, especially for someone of her education (as a lawyer) and for some one with the responsibility for education that she has.

“Plagiarism is perhaps one of the most serious of all academic offenses and plagiarism of a far less blatant example than she is guilty of would land a student or academic before a disciplinary committee with a high likelihood of expulsion. Her defense holds no water either and would be laughed at by such a disciplinary committee.

“For a regular MP to have made such a faux pas is one thing, for it to be made by someone as learned as MP Leah Scott and by someone holding the portfolio for education [albeit as Junior Minister] is extremely concerning.

“Her response to having been found out actually compounds the problem – she had the opportunity to recognise she was caught out and make a learning moment about the seriousness of plagiarism as an academic offense. Instead she has sought to redefine plagiarism in an attempt to rationalise her lapse in judgement and so compounded the situation.

“Of particular concern is the message that this sends to students – that you can plagiarise as long as you’re not caught, and if you are caught you can use the Leah Scott defense and redefine the very nature of plagiarism.

“In order to counter the profoundly bad example the Junior Minister of Education has now set I believe she should now resign and, should she refuse to do the right thing, then the OBA should relieve her of her portfolio in order to send a clear message to students that plagiarism is not acceptable.

“Should neither of the two occur, I think this situation warrants the Opposition to call for a motion of no confidence or censure of the member. Even if such a move fails due to the numerical majority of the OBA, one would hope it would send a clear message to students that plagiarism is not acceptable.

“It is regrettable that the Junior Minister of Education has stooped to plagiarism and further compounded the situation with her ‘response’. Education needs stability, but it also needs good examples – or at the very least it doesn’t need bad examples like the one set by the Junior Minister of Education.

“She had an opportunity to make good by coming clean having been caught out, and she has spurned that opportunity,” concluded Mr. Starling.

Referendum Gate, Casino Gate,$350,000 Election Gate, G.P. License Plate Gate, Harbor Front Gate (and they made up a Law to suspend the contract), the infamous Jet Gate (and the players in the game are still wheeling and dealing and the guy that hitched a ride is involved in Harbor Front Gate), B.T.A. Gate CEO making $1,000 a day(how many CEO’S get paid from public funding) and now Plagiarism Gate……………………………….. Stay tuned for more.

HAHA that’s all you lot have…GATES! Even with all these gates THEY ARE STILL DOING A BETTER JOB THAN YOUR PLP EVER DID AND WILL EVER DO AND YOU KNOW THIS, THAT’S WHY IT HURTS YOU SO BAD! How you like dem apples bra! Just another hater, that’s all!

It is definitely helping Bermuda. This woman is the Jr minster of education and does not understand plagiarism? Expose the people who hold positions they obviously aren’t qualified for. Well Done Mr Hill

“It saddens many to see how certain members of this current government seemingly allow themselves to be used to do and say certain things for the sole purpose of public appearance, just to be able to say they’ve said something. Why sell themselves so short?

On reading some of “his” political “opinions” that is an awful amount of hypocrisy so for such a young man. I am sure he will learn with age (or maybe he already knows and doesn’t care). I certainly don’t think he has the right though to be so high and mighty.

“On reading some of “his” political “opinions” that is an awful amount of hypocrisy so for such a young man. I am sure he will learn with age (or maybe he already knows and doesn’t care). I certainly don’t think he has the right though to be so high and mighty.”

So you did attack Mr. Hill – admit it.

It is amazing that people cannot see their own faults.

(notice that I used quotes for your comments – - giving you credit for your words – - unlike the Junior Minister in her article)

Uh, I never disputed I attacked Mr Hill – I made the point that I said what Minster Scott did was stupid. In terms of “recognising my own faults” Im not sure what you mean? I was recognising Mr Hill’s and MS Scott’s faults. That was who the article was about not me.

In terms of my faults I eat too much red meat, I care a little to much about politics in a country where we are 45 years behind the curve and I dislike those who only ever see one side of the debate.

We decided to do a bit of digging also, and chose Dr. Martin Luther King as an example. From the New York Times, published October 11, 1991. “Boston University Panel finds plagiarism by Dr. King”. Several similar reports were found, check them out yourselves. It is interesting to note, even when the charges were proven in several instances, the decision was made NOT to revoke his doctorate! Go figure. Scott is in good company.

Our Junior Minister of Education clearly has a warped idea of what constitutes plagiarism and her defense – and explanation of plagiarism – would be laughed at in an academic disciplinary committee hearing on it.

If this had been done by a regular MP it would still be bad – and compounded by her rationalising of her actions. However, for this to be by the Junior Minister of Education it is particularly worrying.

It sets a very poor example for students who could now engage in plagiarism using the Leah Scott defense. Not good enough for a Junior Minister of Education.

If she had owned up to the plagiarism, fine. Lesson learned. But to deny the plagiarism like this – I think she needs to resign or be relieved of her portfolio in order to send a message to students about how serious an academic offence plagiarism is.

Question: Which PLP current serving was accused of plagerism, tried to prove innocence by allegedly editing media and providing it as evidence, only to have a member of the media play the actual recording proving not only that they had plagerised, but they had tried to fake evidence ?

Eron…Starling…. which is worse…. none are good, but tell me, which is worse conduct?

Dear ‘hmmm’, as I’m now quoted in the main body of this article and generally try not to comment on my own article or ones I’m quoted in, this will be my last comment on this article – just so you and other readers are aware.

To answer your question, of the top of my head, I called for Dr Brown’s resignation in light of breaking our constitution and aiding and abetting the US escape their obligations under international law. I called for Derrick Burgess and then candidate Leroy Bean to resign (as minister and candidate respectively), I believe over the BLDC scandal. And I believe I also called for Walter Roban to resign as Minister over a planning issue – of which he did resign.

I’ve also taken the current Opposition Leader to task and argued he should be replaced as Leader for various reasons that I outlined at the time.

I believe you’ll also find I have previously taken both Jennifer Smith (when Premier) and Col Burch to task too (I believe in LTTE’s in the RG).

Why not Bean and the admission of administering ganja tea to an infant, his alleged comments to the female members of society and opening a gambling shop in the back of town. Why not Burt based in that link and the website allegedly selling alcohol.

Your line wasn’t crossed there, yet it is here?

How about the union not giving sufficent notice for people to vote (BPSU) or the non filing of Financials by the BIU?

Bean opening up a gambling (betting) shop on Court Street is considered unethical and potential grounds for resignation??? Help me here,, That infant was his own daughter. I am not a great supporter of each of these points, but you are really fishing.. Maybe you should wait until full moon..

With Bean, opening a betting shop shouldn’t be grounds for resignation. However, it is hypocritical for him to speak out against gambling because the owners profit at the expense of the most vulnerable members of society. Then decided to do exactly that, profit from the most vulnerable members of society at their expense. He seems to really love green.

On your other point about the infant being his own daughter, he, a lawmaker, gave her an illegal drug and advocated for such illegal drug use. I don’t have an issue with marijuana use and I feel that it should be legalized. However, possessing while illegal is a criminal offense. As his fellow colleague Mr. Dickinson is well-aware.

So Jonathan, would you agree that any MP involved in covering up plagiarism should in your view resign their high office, such as Ministerial or shadow Ministerial posts? That seems to be what you said. I have it correct, don’t I?

Mr Starling, the reason you’re not clear on the incident referred to by hmmm is perhaps that you were not in Bermuda in October 2011, following news stories about speeches by the then Premier. Had you been here and following such stories, you might be able to recollect the events he is referencing.

I think it it pathetic that many are attacking Eron Hill for his posting. (Is it is because of his assumed political affiliation?) In fact it was myself who discovered and posted to social media that Leah Scott had plagiarized her letter to the editor. All Eron did was lift my comments and add his own commentary. People if you want to shoot your arrows, shoot them at MP Leah Scott, who has stolen someone’s words & thoughts and presented them as her own.

If only things where that simple and reasoned.. However, when an OBA member is guilty of any transgression, it is allowed because the PLP did the same thing, The PLP is trying to undue all the good work of the OBA and will do anything just to get back into power, The PLP have paid bloggers who just sit there and attack members of the government without any just cause, The PLP brainwashed individual lacks character and respect and their comments should not be taken seriously.. yada yada, you know etc.. Play that tune again..

Listen A $$ the plp has no money to pay bloggers that’s the ubp&OBA way of doing business. People are just tired of all the BS the oba has promised. Promises is the only denominator that got them in power.

The 2000 job promise is like waiting for a pig to fly. In order for the economy to boom “the people” must be happy. When people are happy they spend more money. Only a few are happy under this government that the majority voted for in 2012. All they do is continue to blame the biu &PLP. The same trick doesn’t work twice. I voted and feel tricked the other half didn’t even show up to vote, so what do you think will happen next election.

Clearly Ms Scott was wrong but the story’s not as big as the PLP and its followers Famous,Hill ,Dickerson and Starling make it out to be….what is missing are the comments of Ms Simmons and the message the was conveyed but as it always the case let’s make it political and ignore everything else. If Miss Scott was a PLP minister this would be a non event instead of the second coming of JETGATE …

As usual, you are shooting off half cocked. Mrs Simmons, on her radio show, responded to a caller who spoke about Junior Minister Scott’s opinion piece on the Unions. It was the caller who started the dialogue regarding Ms Scott and her comments – - so let’s be clear – JUNIOR MINISTER SCOTT’S OWN WORDS STARTED THIS FIRESTORM!! This is her own fault – nobody else should receive credit for her missteps in this situation.

Please start to truly look at situations without your OBA blinders on all the time – - you make start to see things a bit more clearly.

Tad bit is appropriate. FIRESTORM!!!! ? Not so much as always the PLP are desperate for an issue that they can flog to divert attention from their record…..this too shall pass…now back to important issues move along here….

Resign? When I hear the same people calling for the resignations for Zane Desilva over the $20mn Port Royal costs to the BDA taxpayer then I will entertain the calls for resignation over a personal letter to the editor. Or for Marc Bean to resign or settig a bad example to the children of BDA with his hyperbolic an divisive rhetoric. Or for David Burt to resign over allegations of bootleg liquor.

For the record, I concur, I think the calls for her to resign are way over the top and unnecessary, but I also feel the failing to admit to or accept when members of the Government do or say things that are not considered smart in the grand scheme of things by OBA supporters as childish and very irrational.

I am a supporter of the PLP, I make no apology for that, but I admit when the PLP are wrong or do things that I don’t agree with as I am aware that perfection doesn’t exist at all times. I don’t go around comparing what the PLP did wrong to what the UBP did wrong during their tenure with the “look mommy, he did it too” nonsense that we see in society today.

While I think Ms Scott made a big mistake in not citing her words’ source, I also think she was maybe excited to find a passage that resonated with her and that she found applicable to women here in Bermuda. She absolutely should have started her whole thing with, “I read this on a website ____________ the other day, and wanted to share it with you.”

Hopefully she will learn from this, but I really don’t think a mistake like this constitutes a call for her stepping down. Let’s pull together, please. We spend a LOT of time finding negativity – let’s try to find some common ground in the positive arena. Please.

the next time I am excited to find a passage that resonates with my mind at the time, I will be sure to plagarize and then sign my name to it.. I will be sure to sign OBA after I sign my name to make sure all is forgiven.. smdh.

However the Junior Minister has denied she has plagiarised the article from Hello Beautiful!….when she clearly has, which gives reason for her to consider whether she is suitable to be the Junior Minister of Education!

yup you busted her behind Khali….others just piled on and bum rushed her continuously over the last 24hrs and I’m certain radio are having a field day with it…. some ppl I once respected as politically mature prefer to focus on stupid rather than the big issues on the table ;-(

Well its obvious the jr minister is in above her head ! And she should be lucky to still have a job . As she has no experience in the field of politics ! I’ve read and heard her comments on a few things ! Her head is in LA LA land . Too stooshie to see the obvious !! Smh ..

As an attorney, Ms. Scott most certainly knew she was plagiarizing the Hello Beautiful article when she wrote her opinion piece and I doubt very much that the citation omission was “inadvertent” and “unintentional”. She committed literary plagiarism in that she lifted words and ideas from a published article and tried to pass them off as her own. That she rephrased snippets of the quotations to reflect her own way of presenting the ideas expressed in the article still makes it plagiarism, no matter how you shake it or how many times she denies it. Her saying it wasn’t “direct” (word for word) plagiarism is playing the semantics game and is nothing but an attempt to minimize her culpability. I think Ms. Scott’s ego has run amok and her credibility has hit a very low level. Perhaps she needs to step away from the public arena and engage in some serious self-reflection.

Ms. Scott is wrong in saying that plagiarism is simply copying someone else’s work word for word. There are many sites that outline the parameters of plagiarism. Mr. Starling is correct in his assessment of what a glaring misstep this is, particularly for a lawyer who would have been drilled in how to use source material. As the Junior Minister of Education, this is inexcusable.

Here is one site. Note the difference between verbatim plagiarism and mosaic plagiarism:

Well one thing is for sure all PLP supporters have to do is sit on the hill and watch as OBA apologists attempt to defend the indefensible. Yes sir good name for them; the Herd mentality rushing over the cliff to political obscurity.

Give her a break already Don Grearson and the other fella right them and then allocate them to back benchers to raise their profile – she didnt write it and should take the PR team to task for putting her in this position

Dunkley please get a small rebate on this quarters articles from Mr Grearson he hoodwinked us

Either she made a mistake by not sending her source or she is not very familiar with the internet and thought she could get away with plagiarism. Who really cares, though? This is just a distraction that the PLP are using to try to curry favour in the court of public opinion. What we should be focusing on right now is the country’s debt problem and how to fix it before the economy goes belly-up.

I think at the least Ms Scott needs to resign from the post of Junior Minister of Education. She isn’t needed in that post anyway as there is a full time Education Minister now. So make her step down and save the country that extra 10K

Who really gives a **** half of you negative people posting on this blog just wanted to see everybody fail. Bermudians love negativity. Guarantee none of you are losing sleep over this including Khalil and Eron….find something new to dig up, better yet start with the seabed lmfao!

Bermuda College has specific guidelines. This is from their Student Code of Conduct under Academic Dishonesty, Page 8, and results in disciplinary action that can lead to suspension or explusion. Most students are taught this from middle school on:

“Paraphrase or direct quotation, of the published or unpublished work of another person without full and clear acknowledgement.”

Marc Bean publicly admits he gave his 3 year old daughter ganja tea – still leader of the PLP. Marc Bean allegedly verbally abuses a black Bermudian lady – still leader of the PLP. Should I stop or go on?

It’s cute that Eron is trying to play the accountability card – definitely a different tune from when I called him out on likening the OBA to the KKK on his Instagram account. Think the general response was something like ‘haters always tryin to bring a brotha down’.

Ms Scott, when you refer to bringing a sister down and treading on her I truly hope you saw yourself in that. To my understanding that is something you have been doing for a long time. Its too bad these sisters wont come out and publicly state their case against you. What you need to do is be a BIGGER WOMAN and apoligise to those you have belittled and made to feel like crap.

Am I the only one sitting here thinking “I’m sure Barrak Obama doesn’t always write his own speeches.”

Anyway I don’t think these kids should be pushing country leaders under the bus. They are elected by us to serve us. If she felt that it was right to take this info and share it with us then so be it. Maybe she had a reason to, maybe the message wouldn’t travel as much if she said she got her train of thought from another article.

I think this is a case of future politicians starting a bit trouble and making some noise. Like who hasn’t plagiarized before come on we do it everyday subconsciously. Everything we do or say is based off an experience or something we’ve heard before. So were all walking plagiarizers imo.

The irony is funny tho, Minister of education plagiarizing, maybe she should go sit in one of our high school English classes

so to catch up on the news(?) – a minister submits an opinion piece/letter to the editor after reading an article that resonated with them to the extent that they read it, paraphrased it, and published their own article. At the time of their writing, they failed to acknowledge the inspiration/original source. the minister then followed up with an apology for the lack of disclosure. how is this something that one should resign over?

“When you take stuff from one writer it’s plagiarism; but when you take it from many writers, it’s research.” Wilson Mizner 1938.

“WOE TO YOU!! You thieves and imitators of other peoples labour and talents. BEWARE of laying your audacious hand on this artwork”. Albrecht Durer 1511 Applies thru the ages……….. Shame on a Lawyer, a pitiable excuse indeed!